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refilled their glasses while Carly sliced up the pie. Back in the fam-
ily room, Nic added another log to the fire and then nestled herself
on the sofa next to Carly. The fireplace provided the only light in
the room. A light melody was playing on the stereo, lush with gui-
tar riffs.
Oh, I like this song, Carly said.
Nic did, too. This is San Diego by Peter White. He is one of
my favorite jazz artists.
I can see, or should I say hear why, Carly replied. She kicked
off her shoes and curled her legs up under her, so that she could
face Nic, who stretched her long legs out, putting her now bare feet
on top of the coffee table and crossing them at the ankles. She
stared into the flames, watching them lick the logs, causing the
wood to crackle. For the first time all day, she honestly felt relaxed.
So, tell me, Nic, why did you become a cop?
The question took Nic by surprise. Her eyes took on a haunted
look, and for a moment Carly was sorry that she had asked the
question. She could see, maybe even sense, a deep pain behind
those eyes. I guess I wanted to make a difference. She was torn
with leaving her answer at that or actually exposing an old and still
very painful wound.
And I m sure you ve made one, Nicole Stone. Carly smiled
54 D. L. Pawlowski
and reached out, lightly touching Nic s shoulder. The touch alone
warmed Nic s soul and eased the pain she still held so firmly in her
heart.
Chapter
Five
THE GOLD BUICK made its way slowly up Kingston drive
until it was within two houses of its destination. Sal, sitting in the
passenger seat, held up his hand to indicate to Leo that he should
stop. Right here is fine, Leo. No need to get any closer. Sal saw a
black vehicle parked in the driveway. The house itself was dimly
lit, but the deck lights were still on. Leo parked the car under an
elm tree, which provided some cover from the streetlights. This car
fit in much better than the Ford did, Sal thought. He rolled his win-
dow down, flicking cigar ashes into the street below.
Leo fidgeted. Sal, it s not even eight o clock yet. Maybe we
should come back later.
Leo, we are sticking to my plan. This cop has got to be tired.
She was at the bust last night. When the lights go out, we ll wait
another thirty minutes or so, then we ll take care of business.
Leo scowled. He would rather be waiting at the bar, where he
could at least watch the heavyweight fight that was being televised
tonight. He turned the radio on in the hopes of finding a station
that was covering it.
AFTER FINISHING THEIR wine and watching the fire burn
down to glowing embers, they decided to retire. Nic cleared the
dining room table while Carly loaded the dishwasher and tidied up
the kitchen. After checking the doors and turning off the lights,
they went upstairs. Harley was meandering down the hallway
when they reached the top of the stairs. She was quickly scooped
up by Carly, who nuzzled her soft fur.
Do you have everything you need? Nic asked.
Yes, I m all set. Thanks again, Nic. I know I couldn t have
handled today without you.
You re welcome. Sleep well. Nic watched Carly put the cat
down then enter her room.
Back in her room, Nic stripped out of her clothes. For a second,
56 D. L. Pawlowski
she contemplated taking a shower then she looked at her arm and
decided against it. Pulling on a pair of shorts with the Mets logo on
the leg and a matching T-shirt, she slid into her soft bed. Harley
jumped up to join her, finally settling near the foot of the bed. Nic
lay there afraid that she was so over tired that she wouldn t be able
to fall asleep. Her mind kept going over the day s events. Then her
thoughts drifted to Carly and how nice she looked in that pale blue
sweatshirt. Her golden hair was utterly beautiful. She had never
felt so comfortable with someone so quickly. Do you know how you
are affecting me, Carly? Thoughts of the woman carried Nic off to
sleep with a smile on her lips.
Carly was snuggled comfortably into her own bed. It had been
a full day, and she was exhausted, yet she felt like she could have
talked all night with Nic. She wondered what had caused that pain-
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